A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging, and particularly to packaging cartons of cigarettes as well as their manufacturing processes and devices.
The finished packs of cigarettes, generally containing twenty cigarettes, are normally regrouped in cartons generally containing ten packs disposed in two superimposed rows of five packs each. Independent of the specific make-up of the packaging of each pack, whether it be a soft or rigid pack, the carton itself may be of a soft type or of a rigid type according to the material chosen.
B. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art soft-type cartons are generally made of a packaging of a flexible and opaque material such as paper, metallized paper or a composite material. Hard cartons are generally formed of a stiff cardboard.
For the soft cartons, called "bundles", a tearing tab, connected to the end of a tearing thread or tape, is generally provided on a face or an edge of the carton, the tearing thread or tape going around the carton, i.e., entirely separating the carton into two portions at the time of its opening. The two portions can be six packs (two deep and three long) by four packs (two deep and two long) and even eight packs by two packs.
The consumer wishing to remove a pack from the carton, having therefore opened a carton containing ten packs of cigarettes, will generally find a first carton portion containing six packs in one hand and a second portion containing four packs in the other hand. According to the location where the tearing thread or tape is disposed, there may be a first portion of eight packs and a second portion of two packs. However, it has been hitherto impossible to obtain exactly one single pack on the first opening.
The consumer will finally obtain a single pack of cigarettes by breaking one of the portions, so that he is left with two carton portions, one of which is opened.
Another potential drawback of a carton according to the prior art is the presence of the tearing thread or tape, i.e., of a material different from that of the packaging, which it is necessary to add to it at the time of making the latter.